It is known to use lights as accessories in night fishing. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,064,122 discloses a lamp used for illuminating nocturnal fishing operations and for attracting fish.
In addition, several types of utility lights are known that are incorporated into posts or railings. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,498,942 and 1,298,362, for example, disclose lamps incorporated into the rails or bedstead of a bed. U.S. Pat. No. 2,825,796 shows a cyclone fence with lights incorporated into the fence posts. U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,393 shows a roll bar equipped with a neon light. U.S. Pat. No. 3,544,782 shows a highway guard rail assembly with lights incorporated into the rails. U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,769 shows a handrail assembly with lights incorporated into the handrails.
Various types of ultraviolet lights are also known. For example, portable ultraviolet lights have long been used by mineralogists to locate fluorescent minerals. Ultraviolet lights are also commonly used in electric bug traps ("bug zappers"), where they serve the purpose of luring insects into the trap.
While these various prior art lights may be suitable for the particular purposes for which they were intended, none are particularly suitable for use on a boat as an aid to night fishing. For example, the bulbs in the illuminated handrail of U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,769 are oriented directly downward so that they light the area in the immediate vicinity of the rail. While this is suitable for purposes such as lighting a footpath, a light useful for night fishing on a boat must be directed away from the deck of the boat so that it will illuminate the water in the immediate vicinity of the hull.
Another problem with the lighting systems of the prior art is that they utilize white or fluorescent lights. While such lights have been used at times to attract fish to fishing vessels, they are not desirable in instances where the primary purpose of the light is not to attract fish, but to illuminate fishing lines. For example, on party boats where several fishermen are fishing at the same time, it is desirable for the fishermen to be able to follow their lines into the water in order to avoid entanglement with the lines of others. White or fluorescent light is unsuitable for this purpose, since most types of fishing line appear transparent or translucent in such light.
Since fluorescent fishing line is widely available, it has become the practice of many night fishermen to hang portable ultraviolet lights on their vessels. The ultraviolet light causes the pigment in fluorescent fishing line to fluoresce, thereby rendering the line clearly visible. However, portable lights are undesirable on a boat, where the wind and the constant movement of the boat can cause such lights to detach from their temporary moorings or to broken against the side of the boat.
While most boats are equipped with light fixtures, these fixtures are typically unsuitable for use with ultraviolet bulbs. First of all, ultraviolet lights are generally tubular, are not available in a wide variety of sizes, and require a fixture that will accept a multiple prong configuration. Thus, most light fixtures that are used on boats will not accept a fluorescent bulb. In addition, ultraviolet lights require a special housing. For example, many of the materials used with white or fluorescent lights are not compatible with ultraviolet light. Many such materials are not transparent to ultraviolet light, or will melt or deteriorate upon exposure to ultraviolet light. Finally, it is well known that exposure of the eyes to ultraviolet light can cause retinal damage. Therefore, it is not desirable to mount ultraviolet lights in fixtures located on the interior of a boat, since such light must then shine past persons on deck in order to illuminate the area in the vicinity of the hull. However, the exterior of a boat is not typically fitted with a fixture suitable for accommodating an ultraviolet bulb.
There is thus a need for an ultraviolet fishing light which may be permanently mounted to the exterior of a boat, which properly illuminates fluorescent fishing line disposed in the immediate vicinity of the hull of a boat, and which does not expose the user to harmful ultraviolet rays. These and other needs may be met by the present invention as described below.